In the prior art, different connection elements are known which are introduced into a component by means of a rotating movement of the connection element. The rotating movement provided with the aid of a tool is transmitted to a drive means opening of the connection element by means of a driving element of the tool, for example a bit. For this purpose, the drive means opening has approximately the complementary shape to the outer design of the drive means of the tool. To these tool shapes belong Phillips or crosshead, slotted or Torx drive means to name here just a few examples. These shapes are specified in corresponding standards, as for example DIN standards. Further, there exist company-specific drive means which also cooperate with the inner contour of a drive means opening.
Often, there exists an interest to secure connection elements which have been introduced into a component against an unauthorized or unrecognized loosening. To this end, the respective drive means opening of the connection element is closed with the aid of a respective closure element such that a quick loosening of the connection element via the drive means opening is at least made difficult if not completely prevented.
According to CH 409 532, the complete head of a slotted screw is surrounded by a closed seal. In this solution, the seal does not serve solely for the closure of the drive means opening but prevents the complete access to the screw head. GB 2 403 522 A describes screws having a hexagon bore or a slot as drive means opening. It is characteristic for these drive means openings that these drive means openings increase in size in installation direction of the respective connection element, in this case in the screw-in direction of the respective screw. For preventing the loosening of the connection element, an embedding material is driven into the drive means opening after installation of the connection element. Among these embedding materials are, for example, soft iron, lead, copper, zinc, aluminum, tin or similar materials. Due to the driving force of the striking tool, the embedding material is suppressed into the increasing or widening portion of the drive means opening so that it thus forms an undercut against the loosening of the embedding material from the drive means opening. With respect to the material to be used as well as the effort upon driving and suppressing the embedding material into the drive means opening, this installation method is relatively costly.
In DE 35 09 587 A1, a drive means opening of the safety screw is closed by the driving in of a ball, a fitting piece or by introducing an adhesive. For further securing the closure of the drive means opening in this context, the fitting piece consists of hardened steel. This material choice prevents that the fitting piece is drilled out with the aid of a drilling machine. Further, this fitting piece is used in combination with a surface roughness or toothing which is inclined against the insertion direction to fasten the fitting piece in the drive means opening in a secure manner. This toothing increases on the one side the press fit of the fitting piece in the drive means opening but increases on the other side the drive-in moment for the fitting piece into the drive means opening so that this cannot be done without the usage of a striking tool. The usage of the striking tool has the further risk that the connection element is damaged.
DE 202 05 314 U1 uses a closure element with thread for closing a drive means opening of the connection element. To this end, a thread matching the thread of the closure element is provided at the inner side of the drive means opening. Accordingly, the closure element is screwed into the drive means opening and fastened there. This solution has, however, the disadvantage that, in fact, a thread is compatible only with a small share of standardized drive means shapes.
According to DE 20 2010 001 752 U1, a sealing element is pressed into the drive means opening of the connection element by cold-forming. While the cold-forming ensures that the sealing material, here soft deformable metals or plastics, is adapted to the inner contour of the drive means opening, also an identifying embossing can be introduced into the upper side of the closure element. But this type of closure element requires the usage of a striking tool. Further, the amount of sealing material to be used has to be adjusted to the opening so that not excessively much material is displaced beyond the drive means opening at the upper side of the connection element. This is, however, at a manual adaption of the amount of the sealing material only possible in a limited manner. Because according to the here-described method, for example aluminum is used as sealing material and is cut-off from an aluminum round rod depending on the volume of the drive means opening to be closed. This proceeding has the further disadvantage that at an amount of sealing material which is too small, the drive means opening is either not sufficiently closed or the closure element is not held reliably in the drive means opening.
With respect to the above-discussed prior art, the object is thus to provide a structurally simply designed closure element which can also be introduced functionally into the drive means opening of the closure element by means of a simple method. At this, especially an efficient design of the installation method shall be in the foreground which provides the worker with a sufficient flexibility in his proceeding.